Are there Health Risks with GM Foods

Genetically modified foods have been at the focus of debates for at least a decade, and it seems that more and more nations are avoiding to use them. European countries particularly are against the usage of GM foods and Russia is the last in line that banned them after the recommendation of its top scientists.

People are usually sceptical due to many alleged harmful impacts of these foods on human health, but in the States, almost all foods are genetically modified in at least one way.

So, are there any valid reasons why people should avoid GM foods or is it just an enormous misunderstanding?

Well, although there are many distinct kinds of GM foods, it is not easy to give a final judgment on all of them. However, scientists do believe that there is more than one reason people should avoid genetically modified foods.

GM Foods May Cause Allergies

Allergies are seemingly the most natural reason that makes scientists all over the world worried when it comes to GM foods. A particular protein is the usual cause of various allergic reactions, and almost every transfer of genetic material produces a new protein.

This does not necessarily mean that the allergic reaction will happen, but it definitively increases the possibility.

Also, some genetic modifications may also lead to an increased level of presence of natural allergens that are a regular ingredient in organic food.

In fact, some cases have proved that improving gene material also led to developing empowered allergens, thus making them more dangerous and difficult to deal with in the first place.

And the worst part of the story is the fact that there is a reasonable fear of possible creation of new allergens that were not known before.

In the worst case scenario, we may be responsible for the creation of new illnesses that may cost us millions of lives. As much as this may appear like a sci-fi plot, many scientists say it is a likely scenario in the future.

Genetically Modified Foods Are Exposed to Pesticides

When making genetically modified foods, genetic engineers do their best to adjust the particular type of food in such a way that it is resistant to all kinds of pesticides. Namely, they cultivate crops that have pesticide resistant genes.

Therefore, such plants can be sprayed with any pesticides and not to show side effects. On the contrary, such genetically modified foods may, even after the pesticide treatments, look perfectly healthy.

So, the main idea behind the pesticide resistance gene is that while cultivating crops, you can treat them with, for instance, herbicides that kill a weed, but not the crops themselves.

However, while spraying your GM crops with such herbicides, your health is highly exposed to pesticides that can significantly influence your health. In some cases, the pesticides like these are linked even with cancer.

The Possibility For Creating Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria

Genetically modified foods have many disadvantages, but when your health comes into question, you should be acquainted with the fact that GM foods can create new bacteria, so far unknown to the contemporary medicine, that are antibiotic resistant and that may develop serious illnesses.

Genetic engineers are aware that every genetically modified product has a certain level of markers that are antibiotically resistant.

So far now, some of the foods, like maize from Novartis, contain gene resistant to ampicillin.

Of course, we all know that ampicillin has an enormous value and prevents many bacteria from further progress. These foods carry high risks of developing new bacteria that will not be possible to destroy neither with ampicillin nor with some other medications similar to it.

Therefore, new diseases are highly possible to appear and thus threaten millions all over the world.

There is a constant increase in the number of people who oppose GM food and many believe that foods produced in labs are not good for our health. Health organizations keep conducting research and for now, we know that GM foods can harm our health in many ways.